AT&T adding high-speed wireless service to Volvo cars

In the multiyear agreement, the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier will provide mobile connections for Volvo Cars’ services, such as Internet radio, maps and Volvo On Call, which lets drivers remotely start up their cars and alerts the company’s emergency center if an airbag goes off. AT&T’s service will be introduced for Volvo’s 2015 model year, according to a statement today.

In the multiyear agreement, the second-largest U.S. wireless carrier will provide mobile connections for Volvo Cars’ services, such as Internet radio, maps and Volvo On Call, which lets drivers remotely start up their cars and alerts the company’s emergency center if an airbag goes off. AT&T’s service will be introduced for Volvo’s 2015 model year, according to a statement today.

AT&T, which has recently announced agreements with Tesla Motors Inc., Volkswagen AG’s Audi and General Motors Co., is pursuing one of the fastest-growing new wireless markets as smartphone service reaches saturation. The deal with Volvo Cars, owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., will provide coverage in the U.S. and Canada.

“We’re committed to working with Volvo Cars to give their customers a unique and valuable service,” Chris Penrose, senior vice president of emerging devices at AT&T Mobility, said in the statement.

To further increase its appeal as a partner to carmakers, Dallas-based AT&T opened a new car technologies innovation center in Atlanta in January and introduced AT&T Drive, a service that lets automakers pick and choose what features and capabilities to include.

The automotive industry offers wireless companies a host of new opportunities including services such as in-car Internet access, real-time traffic monitoring and pay-as-you-drive insurance.

Technology to keep drivers connected in their vehicles is the top selling point for 39 percent of auto buyers, more than twice the 14 percent who say their first consideration is traditional performance measures such as power and speed, according to a study consulting firm Accenture released in December.

Globally, more than 20 percent of cars sold in 2015 will have built-in connectivity, and by 2025 every car will be connected to multiple networks, according to the GSMA industry association. Worldwide revenue from connected cars will reach $54 billion in 2018, up from $18 billion in 2012, according to research by SBD and the GSMA.

Separately, AT&T said it’s expanding its connected car services to Asia with another deal. In an interview earlier today in Tokyo, Joe Mosele, AT&T’s vice president of business development for emerging devices, said the company has an agreement with an automaker outside Asia to have cars using AT&T’s wireless services in markets including China within weeks. He declined to name the automaker.